The thing that drives me nuts about the whole Lesnar / Mir fight is the fact that everyone has swallowed the hype so completely surrounding it. Frank Mir simply is not a challenge for Brock Lesnar. Maybe back in the day when Frank Mir actually gave a shit and was any good, sure. But even before the accident, Mir had fits when fighting similar guys to Brock. Add the fact that no one has seen a Mir worth mentioning since he went ass over teakettle off his motorcycle nearly four years ago, and you’ve got yourself a Brock Lesnar win nine times out of ten.

Let’s take a look back at Frank Mir’s UFC career, since I took the time to download and watch the whole thing today:

Roberto Traven @ UFC32: The fight that started the Mir hype. Traven was a black belt and Mir was only purple. Mir pushed Traven around, loosened him up with strikes, and then pulled off a slick armbar out of nowhere. The legend is born.

Pete Williams @ UFC36: Mir cements his reputation as a tricky submission artist by catching Williams in nasty looking shoulder lock right at the beginning of the fight.

Ian Freeman @ UFC38: Ian Freeman absolutely smashes the fuck out of Mir, bullying him around the octagon and keeping Mir from securing any submissions by punching and elbowing him in the face. The dopey ref pulled Freeman off Mir for some kind of doctor’s examination and Mir made a big show of limping and rolling around to have the fight stopped.

Tank Abbott @ UFC41: Oh, wow. A win over Tank Abbott! How impressive.

Wes Simms @ UFC43: Mir had nearly 3 minutes of control to sub Wes Simms out … he had Simms in mount and back control for nearly the whole time but couldn’t secure a choke. Simms eventually shook Mir off his back and then curbed him with illegal stomps. Mir looked okay, but quit anyways, giving him the DQ victory.

Wes Simms @ UFC46: Again, Frank Mir controlled this fight throughout the first and had all the control he needed to pull off a submission. At one point he had Simms in some sort of choke but his sloppy execution meant Simms was fine. About 3 minutes into the first round Mir gassed, and it was only because Simms gassed too near the end of round 2 that Mir was able to score a ‘KO’.

Tim Sylvia @ UFC48: Tim Sylvia bumrushed Mir and got caught in a textbook armbar which snapped his forearm like a twig. Drink more milk, Timmy! This is the fight that re-energized the Mir legend.

Marcio Cruz @ UFC57: Marcio gave Mir another Freeman style beating, pushing Mir around the ring and keeping him from utilizing his sub game by punching Mir in the face (which Mir doesn’t seem to like at all). Marcio cuts Mir’s eye and there’s a doctor’s examination. Mir tells the doctor over and over he can’t see, even after he’s told if he can’t see the fight will be stopped. Herb Dean asks “Do you want to keep fighting?” and Mir kinda slumps and says “Yeah okay”. One minute of Marcio Cruz going to town on a mentally defeated Mir later, and the fight is over.

Dan Christison @ UFC61: Mir came out bloated like a whale for this one and had no energy left at all halfway through the first round. Both fighters looked absolutely terrible and Mir looked like a jiu-jitsu novice rather than the god everyone remembered back in his heyday.

Brandon Vera @ UFC65: Vera’s watched the same fights I have and knows Mir can’t stand to be pressured with strikes. Vera bulldozes Mir, knocking him down with strikes and finishing him off with solid punches to the face. Mir covers up and waits for the ref to rescue him.

Antoni Hardonk @ UFC74: Hardonk had spent several months training with the Gracies and was so excited to try out his new skills he forgot that straight up rolling with a guy like Frank Mir is a guaranteed way to lose. I don’t think Hardonk threw one punch in this entire fight. He goes for a submission right off the bat which allows Mir to transition and lock up a kimura for the win.

Long story short, Mir can’t take the pressure when an opponent starts to lay a beating on him. He’s given up several times during fights and simply can’t pull out his jiu-jitsu when he’s getting hit. This is very bad news for him against Brock because Brock isn’t going to be working on better positions or submissions of his own. Lesnar is going to come out swinging, push Mir against the fence and try to do as much damage as he can as fast as he can.

Ladies and gentlemen, the above I show you is exhibit A. Now please turn your attention to exhibit B. Note specifically the following excerpt from exhibit B:

PC: I know that was a very emotional loss for you. What all was going through your mind after the fight?

JS: Man, I wanted to cry. I gave everything I had. I put in my life savings, took away time from Christmas, New Years, time from my family man-I sacrificed everything and it would’ve paid off. I would do it all again if I had to.

PC: I was emotional for you man. I talked to a lot of fighters that told me how you were in Big Bear busting ass. I’m sure it had to be tough to lose like that?

JS: I saw the tape and it looked like I was crying, but I had something in my eye-my blood (laughing).

To be fair, a little bit of blood would mean a little bit of tears. Considering the amount of blood coming out of Joe, I think the tears aren’t all that unreasonable. So come on now Joe … there’s nothing wrong with crying*.

*There’s something wrong with crying when you’re on The Ultimate Fighter. But crying in the cage is acceptable**

MURFREESBORO, TN – – 17-year old Siegel High School student, Ashley England will have her first song demo debut for the UFC Championship in Las Vegas. The song “Holding Out For A Hero” was written by Jim Steinman and Dean Pitchford and published by Ensign Music, and was originally recorded by Bonnie Tyler.

Ashley is currently recording her first demo at Affinity Publishing Group, Inc, in Murfreesboro, where she is also a vocal performance student under teacher and producer Angela Anderson of Affinity.

“Ashley is a very powerful singer. When we heard Ashley sing “Holding Out for A Hero”, we thought the song would be the perfect song for the UFC Championship.”said Anderson.

Ashley’s mother, Carolina Gallentine, started making phone calls and was able to get Monte Cox, UFC Manager, to listen to the song. Cox loved it and selected the song to debut in the February 2, 2008 UFC Championship program on Pay Per View for UFC five- time Champion Jeremy Horn who is coming out of retirement. This is a big deal for young Ashley.

“I am so happy because this will be a big deal for my school.” said Ashley.